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Specializing in

Custom & Pre-Made Weighted Blankets and Lap Pads

* Click Here For Ordering Information and Pricing*

* THOUSANDS OF FABRICS AVAILABLE,

INCLUDING  FIRE RETARDANT & 100% CERTIFIED ORGANIC FABRICS *

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DreamCatcher tm Blankets, with a patent pending design, specializes in making custom weighted blankets for those who are comforted and benefited  by them.  Being specialized  and focused on offering only weighted blankets and lap pads, provides our clients with a superior product. We make any custom size blanket in addition to our standard  size  blankets ( crib/toddler to king size) for sleep, in addition to wrap and lap blankets. We also offer wrappers and  lap pads which are smaller in size and used mainly as calming tools. Covers are available for all sizes of blankets, if requested.

DreamCatcher Weighted Products are becoming popular as a Yoga tool. We have read that a weighted blanket can be used: 1)As a transition tool before class to bring the body and the proprioceptive system into a calmer space. 2)During Restorative or Yin yoga poses to add specific weight to the shoulders, hands, back or feet. 3)During Sivasana ,used to reorganize the body on a cellular level.

How does the DreamCatcher tm Weighted Blanket work?

In researching weighted therapy for sleep and calming, we talked  with many therapists, medical professionals and experts in the sensory integration field, and  have learned a great deal about how and why weighted products work the way they do.  The very short version of the theory behind how DreamCatcher tm weighted products work, is the deep  pressure stimulation supplied by the weight in our products , releases a chemical in the brain, which naturally calms.

* NEW  Weighted Blanket Research Study * Read More Here *

                  * NEW Article * Understanding Sensory Stimulation* Read More Here*                                                                                By Leslie Adkison, RN.MSN * MCLEAN HOSPITAL * HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

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DREAMCATCHER BLANKETS TM  are preferred  among the medical community.

"As a child clinical psychologist, I have been recommending weighted blankets and lap pads for my patients for many years in order to help with sleep problems. Not only are the blankets useful for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and children with Attention Deficit Disorder, I have found them to help children with anxiety disorders as well as children who just have difficulty with falling asleep.  These blankets are superior to others offered in that the weights do not shift, and the workmanship is outstanding". 

Nancie R. Spector, Ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist in CT

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About DREAMCATCHER WEIGHTED BLANKETS TM

DreamCatcher Blankets was founded almost 6 years ago by Eileen Jackson, the mother of her at the time, 9 year old  son, with "classic" autism,  who  was not  able to sleep without waking every few hours.  "He hadn't slept by himself  or all night by himself until  he was 9 years old and tried his first weighted blanket. My husband and I tried all types of "therapies" prior to that time to help him sleep, short of using drugs. His Occupational Therapist recommended we try a weighted blanket.  Since  he started using a weighted blanket for sleep, his night time sleep goes most nights without waking  during the night. It was not only his therapy, but was also ours. "

The weighted blankets we found in the special needs catalogs were very small in size, extremely expensive, impractical ,made with  uncomfortable fabrics and very clinical looking, not at all user friendly. Other homemade type  blankets we found on the internet,  purchased  and tried were eithe  filled with unsafe or unsanitary weighting materials, were impractical  because of the construction and  again  much too expensive for the size  quality of the product being offered.  In addition, and most importantly, we found that blanket sizes, weights and fabrics offered did not fit our son's personal needs. Because of the lack of a quality product, I set out to make a weighted blanket for our son, he was my inspiration ( as he always is). I sewed several types of blankets over several months, using a variety of  weighting materials, fabrics and constructed several designs until landing on what is now our unique DreamCatcher Weighted Blanket TM, exclusive patent pending design.  At the request of a few Occupational Therapists we made blankets for their patients. Word of mouth had us make a few more blankets and  it has continued to grow (almost explode) .We are  making custom blankets on a full time basis, added employees, sewing space and equipment, with more expansion planned. In August 2007, we  relocated into a larger sewing facility added more machines and sewers.  Moving into our  sixth  year , DreamCatcher tm Blankets have proven to be a quality, sought after product worldwide that  is  effective, practical, comfortable, affordable and most importantly SAFE.

"It is my hope by offering you a custom DreamCatcher Weighted  Blanket TM, that you or someone you love will also benefit from their calming  and soothing effects, the way our son has. The best part of the job is hearing from our customers what an enormous  difference one of our blankets has made in the life of their families." Eileen

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What A Cute Kid!! And Smiling Because Now He Can Sleep!!

The Inspiration That Started It All

Our son, pictured above, with his weighted blanket made in 2003 was designed  to provide better sleep, using 101 Dalmations on a plaid flannel background.  It  weighed 12 LBS and was used for approx. 3 years before he needed a heavier blanket.  The blanket was machine washed and dried every other week for three years without problems and was donated to our blanket exchange program and is now being used by another young man. The blanket on the right is his newest blanket, it is a full size weighing 24LBS in a fireworks cotton pattern. He would normally take a 16LB blanket based on his weight and using the standard starting weight formula that most professionals use of 10% body weight plus 1 pound. Because of his need for very deep pressure the 24LB blanket has been a perfect choice for him.

A DreamCatcher tm sleep blanket is larger in size with the weight distributed throughout and is not as heavy per square inch as a lap or  wrap blanket.

DreamCatcher tm Sleep Blankets are made crib size to king size, and weighted anywhere from 3LBS to 50LBS at the customers request.

Pricing on DreamCatcher tm Sleep Blankets based on individual needs , please email  for quote or price list, or visit the ordering page by clicking on the link below.

* Click Here For  Weighted Blankets Ordering Information And Pricing *

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All About Materials Used to Weight, Weighted Blankets * PLEASE READ

* The type of weighting material used in weighted products is very important *

Poly Pellets are recommended and  proven effective deep pressure for ALL blanket sizes and weights up to 50LBS.  

DreamCatcher tm  Blankets weight blankets using Poly Pellets.  Poly-Pellets are a polypropylene product and is the registered trademark of the manufacturer. : They are SAFE, machine washable and dryable, proven  highly effective in applying deep pressure, hypoallergenic,  recommended and used by professionals as a superior weighting material.

A number of weighted blankets made in  past years and a few still on  the market today are  made without little thought as to their safety, effectiveness or  comfort. Many are  being poorly made with inferior or unsafe materials such as lead, sand, stonesor  river rock, steel shot, beans, rice, corn, popcorn, aquarium gravel, layers of additional fabric, etc. being used as the weighting material. These materials are unsafe, imperfect and/ or  impractical for a variety of reasons, and will in some way  either lessen the life of a blanket considerably or make it unusable. 

A  few blanket manufacturers falsely claim , that stones or corn are a more effective weight than poly pellets.  Both stone or river rock and corn are porous and should never be used in a weighted product, these types of weighting material are simply very cheap materials for those manufacturers who use them.  Neither stone or corn,  have been scientifically proven as a superior or more effective weight than poly pellets when weighting blankets. It  is a disservice to consumers in stating otherwise.

* Never use sand or fine stone in a weighted product. *

Sand or fine stone , can never be effectively washed, is an extremely unsafe weighting material, as it contains silica, and should never be used as a weighting material. In addition to the health risk of lung damage , blankets made with sand will eventually leak and the blanket will become gritty.

* Never use gravel, even grade stone, fine grade river rock or stone, or any type of stone or corn in a weighted product*

Blankets made with aquarium gravel, any type of stone or rock, field corn or feed grade corn are porous, unsanitary, often have sharp or pointed edges and are likely to harm the user, and can never be effectively washed. Because these types of weighting materials  are  porous, they  retain moisture even when they outside appears dry, causing mold, inside the blanket.  In addition, those with pointed edges will cut and wear through the fabric in a relatively small period of time, especially with machine washing and drying.

* Never use any type of organic material in a weighted product *

Blankets filled with rice, beans, flax, popcorn,  corn or any organic material can never be effectively washed. If these types of weighting materials are microwaved ( which can be extremely dangerous, read report below) to warm, get wet from accidents, or are used in high humidity areas, the weighting material  will quickly deteriorate,  mold, emit odors and attract pets, insects and other undesirable pests.  Covers for these types of blankets may be washed but the problem will still persist with the blanket itself. Removable weights filled with organic materials will also present the same problem, making the blanket useless.

* Using Additional Fabric Layers to Weight a  Blanket Defeats the Purpose *

Weighted Blankets that simply use more  fabric, heavier fabric or stuffed with scraps of fabric for weighting material are no more  practical and much less cost effective than just using many blankets piled up  for weight. With poor construction, the inner  fabric will bunch inside the blanket rendering it unusable. As is the case with using many blankets to reach desired weight, this  type of weighted blanket is normally much too warm for heat sensitive individuals.

* Do not use microwave ovens for warming any blankets. *

* Read The Medical Device Safety Report Here *

* Removable Weights, Are They Practical? *

Those  blankets on the market today which are made so you can remove and add weight are normally filled with a weighting material that can not be properly washed, such as corn.   The removable weights are easy for the youngsters to pull out, which many  do , making this type of blanket   impractical or unusable. Several of our customers, reported that removable weight blankets they had previously tried , found  that initially the weights are easy to remove but, are difficult to impossible to replace back into the pockets or cells once the blankets have been washed and dried only after a few times.

In addition, by  comparing the  pocket  and cell design blankets, with the DreamCatcher tm Blanket design, you will  find, that the pocket and cell designs are extremely expensive as their makers will confirm. The pocket and cell design blanket is  cost prohibitive  to the consumer, having to buy both the blanket and weight sets separately. The advantage is sometimes expressed as the blanket can "grow with the user", because weight may be added. Unfortunately the blanket fabric size itself will remain the same so actually growth is not possible as the size of the blanket must be increased also. 

We chose NOT to use the pocket blanket design  for the following additional reasons. The pocket design allows  weights to be removed, adjusted or concentrated in one area, which most professionals discourage . It now appears that the removable weight  design has proven problematic because the weights can be too heavily concentrated ,causing discomfort to the user.

 The adding of  Aromatherapy is not  desired and normally always avoided  by sensory sensitive individuals, making it an unnecessary expense.  The pocket design  is MUCH more expensive  than  the DreamCatcher tm design, and  listening to our customers, cost is always a VERY important priority. We are extremely happy to be able to  pass any type of  savings on to our clients.  DreamCatcher tm Weighted Blankets  also offer a blanket exchange program to further help our clients with expenses.

We understand expense as we are also  raising a special needs child.

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DreamCatcher Blankets tm are completely machine washable and dryable.

The High Quality Poly-Pellets we use are non toxic and hypoallergenic according to the manufacturer. The blankets are  convenient to machine wash and dry as nothing needs to be removed first, such as covers or weighting material. Most blankets are easily washed and dried in standard household machines.

DreamCatcher Blankets tm are designed and constructed for easy care and no fuss maintenance. Dreamcatcher tm Blankets are individually  handcrafted to your specifications, cleaned prior to shipment and constructed in a smoke and pet  free environment.

The pellets are smooth, non-porous, round, "plastic beads" evenly distributed throughout and  "quilted" into the blanket, so as not to move or shift.  Evenly distributed weight is recommend for effective weight therapy . Most professionals DO NOT recommend concentrating weight.  

 Weighted blankets work best when  fitted  and customized to the size and weight of the person who will be using them, and for the desired purpose. We offer every weight and size imaginable to fit each of those individual needs. We can help you determine the size and weight needed  and also suggest  you  consult with your  OT or other medical professional when deciding what weight to make your blanket.

* CHOOSE YOUR OWN FABRICS *

* Specialty Fleeces, Microsuedes, Washable Velvets and Washable Satins are available*

* Fire Retardant and 100% Organic Fabrics are  available. *

* Satin Binding and Satin Taggies are also available. *  

 Please Click Here To Receive FABRIC Information.

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Once again, Please EMAIL  Eileen with questions, for a personal quote pertaining to your particular needs or for a price list.

* Click Here For  Weighted Blankets Ordering Information And Pricing*

PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT A FEW SAMPLE LAP AND  WRAP  BLANKETS BELOW THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY MADE AND USED AS A CALMING TOOL!

You will notice we use a lot of Blue  in our fabric choices for lap/wrap blankets. Blue tends to be a "calming" color and is the  leading choice of color  made by  Occupational Therapists. At DreamCatcher tm Blankets, we have clients that also choose bright colors and patterns and have also experienced  great results with their blankets.

 A DreamCatcher tm   lap   blanket is small in size approx 34" x 43", and is weighted heavier per square inch, available  from 3lbs  to 10lbs, with any weight in between in 1 pound increments. This size blanket is too small for a sleep blanket but is a good size as a calming tool and very portable.

A DreamCatcher wrap blanket is slightly larger , approx.  43" x 52", so it can wrap around as well as sit on the lap and over legs. This size blanket is also suitable as a sleep blanket for children 40" in height and under, and available from 3lbs to 15lbs,with any weight in between in 1 pound increments. This blanket size is also very portable.

How to determine Weight for a Lap or Wrap Blanket used as a Calming Tool?

Current industry standards that many Occupational Therapists suggest that a lap or wrap blanket be 10% plus one pound of the person's body weight that will be using the blanket. This is the starting weight, and can certainly be adjusted up or down depending on each person's individual needs. This type of blanket is normally used as a calming tool and used periodically throughout the day at 20 minute intervals. The theory behind it is,  that the pressure supplied by the weight releases a chemical in the brain that naturally calms. The blanket can be applied  on the lap or around shoulders.

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DREAMCATCHER tm LAP PADS & DREAMCATCHER WRAPPERS tm

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* BRAND NEW ITEM *

The Exclusive only to  DreamCatcher,  Wrapper tm

As a Shoulder Wrap		Or a Lap Pad

So many of our Occupational Therapists clients and parents have requested and given their input for  a weighted product  of this type , we were happy to design it for them and our other clients that will benefit from it.

Crafted using the same DreamCatcher tm patent pending design, we are happy to introduce the Wrapper tm to our weighted products design.

The Wrapper tm is available in two sizes and a variety of weights from 3LBS to 10LBS.

Our regular Wrapper tm measures 16" x 40" perfect for children and young teens. While our large Wrapper tm measures 16" x 50" and the perfect size for adults. This product is so versatile as it can work as both a shoulder wrap and a lap pad. 

Wrappers come in a variety of fabric options, please click here to see choices.

Please email for current Price List.

" Dream Catcher Blankets tm design  effectively uses the highest quality poly pellets on the market today, exclusively in all our weighted products currently made from 2LBS  up to 50LBS. We would not tolerate an inferior weighting  material in our child's blanket and would not expect you to tolerate one by offering one in our weighted products.  It is also our goal to construct a blanket that would be cost effective. We are also raising a special needs child and understand how important it is to get the best we can for the best price. By offering our GIVE & TAKE and  DreamCatcher Blanket Exchange programs we hope to help that along even further.

 Thank You!" Eileen  & JC * DreamCatcher Blankets tm

FOLLOW THE LINKS BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION

What Is The Right Weight And Size Blanket For You?

Custom  & Pre-Made Weighted Blanket Pricing Page

*  Read DreamCatcher Client Testimonials Here *

* Frequently Asked Weighted Blanket Questions *

* Click here to read about the GIVE & TAKE and The BLANKET EXCHANGE PROGRAM Program *

Disclaimer

These blankets should be used with the direction or advice of a medical professional, and used while under adult supervision.

February 2008
DreamCatcher  Weighted Blankets TM

Office:

DreamCatcher Originals LLC
P O Box 328
Corvallis, MT 59828
406-961-0195
Fax: 406-961-0195

E-Mail: dreamcatcher@weightedblanket.net

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LINKS

DreamCatcher Weighted Blankets is pleased to announce our partnership and support with Autism Family Resources.

A portion of sales of DreamCatcher Products goes directly to Autism Family Resources, a non profit organization dedicated to financially helping special needs families.

Visit the Autism Family Resources website to learn how you can help special needs families
and to enter a drawing for a FREE weighted lap pad * Click Here

Weighted Blankets: The Ultimate Use Of Calming Input  For A Restful Sleep

SENSORY INTEGRATION INFORMATION

Sensory Modulation and How It Can Affect Learning

Weighted Blanket Exchange Program

 International Rett Syndrome Association

 Many More Links Here

* Please email us if you have a link that you would like included *

Email: dreamcatcher@weightedblanket.net

Last Updated 02/27/08